Pregnant mums advised to have vaccination against whooping cough
PREGNANT mums are being advised to have a vaccination against whooping cough to protect their babies following an outbreak in the UK.
Over the last eight months 350 cases have been reported across London, compared to 54 last year and 29 in 2010.
Whooping cough is highly contagious and new-borns are particularly vulnerable.
Nine infants have died as a result of whooping cough this year and 302 cases have been reported in children under three months old.
Chairman of Bexley Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Howard Stoate, said: "There has been a sharp increase in the number of children being affected and this is a precautionary measure to protect babies too young to have had their first set of inoculations."
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